Pete Alonso, Brett Baty homer and time won the day as Grapefruit League play begins

Pete Alonso went 3-for-3 in the Mets home opener at Clover Park, while Brett Baty powered the Mets in West Palm Beach in the day game

What’s Up with the Mets? 🌴

• The Mets split their first two games of the spring schedule on Saturday, dropping their game against the Astros by a score of 4-2 in West Palm Beach in the day game (box) and defeating the Marlins 5-2 at Clover Park in the night cap (box)

• Brett Baty went 2-for-2 with a first inning two-run home run in the day game

• Pete Alonso went 3-for-3 including a long home run in the night game

• Jeff McNeil, Eduardo Escobar and Francisco Lindor each singled and scored in the night game, while Daniel Vogelbach produced a 2-for-3 night at the plate against Miami

• Adam Ottavino delivered a scoreless inning against the Astros, while José Buttó struck out four batters over 1.2 IP against the Marlins

• There was a minor delay in the game at Clover Park on Saturday night when the sprinklers went off in the outfield

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Today’s Game 🦩

Game 3️⃣ of 3️⃣0️⃣

Match-up: Nationals vs. Mets

Where: Clover Park, Port St. Lucie, Florida

Starters: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Josiah Gray

When: 1:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

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The pitch clock won the day in MLB… ✍🏻

One of the best things about spring training baseball is that it’s baseball under the sun and palm trees with no consequences. It’s laid back, casual, whatever happens, happens (even if some people don’t agree with that) and as long as the players stay healthy, they can go 0-30 in February and March and their record is still 0-0 for the season.

If anything significant came out of the two games the Mets played on Saturday, it wasn’t the result in either. They won, and they lost. Pete Alonso homered, so did Brett Baty, Eduardo Escobar dove head first into home plate, the sprinklers soaked the three Marlins outfielders midway through the game. It was warm and sunny in the day game with a lazy breeze to cool the air just a bit in the night game.

The significance was the efficiency in time.

Two hours, 35 minutes in the day game at West Palm Beach, two hours, 34 minutes in the night game. But the final numbers on the stopwatch didn’t tell the entire story - they were merely the result of a new system in play.

Or, a system to get the game back to what it once was, without the mid-pitch histrionics taking place in the 60 feet, six inches between the mound and the plate and the pitcher, catcher and hitter.

The games were fast, there was no adjusting of the batters gloves by the hitters, there were no walks around the park by the pitchers and staring up into the sky either.

Nope - it was baseball, and it was right to the point in both games. The pitch clock was working right out of the gate.

And if you were watching at home or at the ballpark, the game had your attention again. Neither game was boring as spring training games might go. At times, it seemed as though the players came on and off the field within two or three minutes.

(that maybe somewhat inaccurate, but the most efficient innings by the pitchers certainly seemed that way)

There were some glitches, there was some confusion in the ballpark with the rules, and I am sure all of that will be cleaned up in the month clubs and the league have to streamline the system ahead of opening day.

Yes, it was the pitch clock which mattered the most on Saturday. And if there was any winner in the two games the Mets played on February 25, it was time.

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Around the League ⚾️

• The Red Sox/Braves game in North Port ended on an automatic strike call (MLB.com)

• The Pirates are not currently engaged in long-term contract negotiations with star OF Bryan Reynolds (Athletic)

• The Blue Jays aren’t believed to be talking about an extension with Alex Manoah (Sportsnet)

• Shane Bieber would “love” to entertain an extension from the Guardians, but that seems unlikely for the moment (Athletic)

• The Cubs scratched Seiya Suzuki on Saturday with oblique tightness (Chicago Sun Times)